At the dawn of the New Year, almost two-thirds of Americans are pessimistic about the overall direction of the country, with 70 percent saying they lack confidence in the federal government to improve things in 2014, a new poll shows.

The Associated Press-GfK survey found that 63 percent of respondents believe the country is heading the wrong way, while 35 percent said it's heading in the right direction. One percent didn't answer the question.

Forty percent said they're "not very confident" the federal government "will make progress on the important problems and issues facing the country in 2014." Another 30 percent said they're "not at all confident" in the government.

State governments fared only slightly better in the poll, with a combined 53 percent saying they had little or no confidence that state governments will fix things in 2014.

As for the state of American democracy, 41 percent said it "needs a lot of changes," while 10 percent said it needs a complete overhaul. Forty-two percent said democracy in the U.S. "works well but needs some changes."

In the "big government vs. small government" debate, 50 percent of respondents said less government is better, while 48 percent said the government should be involved in more things.

On the economy, 57 percent said "we need a strong government to handle today's complex economy," while 41 percent said the "free market can handle these problems without government being involved."

The nationwide survey of 1,141 adults was taken Dec. 12-16 and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.7 percentage points.

Barack Obama's favorability rating is in the toilet, there are crucial midterm elections next year that could decide the fate of his presidency, and what do you think his pollster wishes from the media in 2014?

According to Politico's Mike Allen, Joel Benenson hopes "playbookers" will "[g]o one year without reporting any public polling data."

Think about that: a pollster wants the press to stop reporting polls.

Why might that be?

Well, the fear on the Left - and certainly in the White House - is that the President's lousy numbers will be a drag on Democrats running for crucial House and Senate seats in 2014 making it difficult for them to take back the former and/or hold the latter.

The President - and his pollster! - know that if the Republicans hold the House and win the Senate, Barack Obama would officially have become a lame duck on January 20, 2013, and that he will accomplish absolutely nothing in his second term severely damaging what's left of his teetering legacy.

Also of concern is that despite the rosy picture the administration and their media minions are putting on ObamaCare, there will be more train wrecks for the President's signature piece of legislation next year further damaging him in the polls and his Party's fate in November.

As such, it's best the media just not report those pesky polls for the next 365 days making the public less aware of just how poorly things are going for the current White House resident and his Party.

Speaking of which, Benenson also would like "[n]o items posted regarding the 2016 presidential race until Jan 1, 2015."

Why might that be, you ask?

Well, how would you feel if you were a second-term president with plummeting poll numbers having to turn on the news or pick up a paper every day only to see stories about Hillary Clinton and the Republican frontrunner trying to replace you?

Beyond the damage to your ego, this certainly isn't going to help Democrats hold the Senate, take back the House, or you advance your agenda.

Barack Obama knows full well that if all the talk next year is about those that can possibly replace him rather than himself and policies he'd like to see enacted, this will likely further decrease his poll numbers as well as Democratic success in November.

So let's just not talk about the 2016 election until well after Election Day, okay guys?

After all, the press were kind enough not to discuss Benghazi prior to the 2012 election, and did a marvelous job of ignoring what clearly was a lie concerning people being able to keep their health care plans if they liked them.

Instead, they aided and abetted the President's bogus claims about a Republican "War on Women."

And in 2008, the media dutifully ignored the junior senator from Illinois' lack of accomplishments as a legislator at both the federal and state level whilst sheltering him from criticism concerning his connections to an America-hating reverend, a convicted real estate swindler, and a domestic terrorist all the while promoting him as the next messiah.

Surely after all that complicity in the past six years, the press can continue acting as lapdogs by ceasing all reports on polls until after the midterm elections.